46o 



THE 



GARDENERS* MAGAZINE, 



June 22, 1912. 



Th 



AQUILEGIAS. 



rers have 



ibecome immensely 

 popular, since the introduction of the im- 

 proved forms of the long-spurred varieties. 

 During recent yea 



a great development 

 ha« taken place amongst them, and a high 

 standard of excellence attained. It is not 

 very long ago that aquilegias were looked 

 upon as commonplace, but now they are 

 collsidex'ed as well deserving a foremost 

 position among herbaceous plants. Their 

 hardihood goes without saying^ although 

 some are apparently not of such strong 

 constitution as others. They are exceed- 

 ingly accommodating, and Avill thrive where 

 many subjects fail. Beautiful effects are 

 to be obtained by freely planting them in 

 the wild garden and in shady walks, in bold 

 groups of two or three dozen plants. 



Although not commonly used for decora- 

 tive purposes in pots, they are excellent for 

 furnishing the conservatory, and a group in 

 flower is very pleasing. Two-year-old 

 plants are most suitahle for potting in 

 October, and wintering in cold frames. In 

 the early part of the year they should be 



cold house when the flower 



On no account must 



placed m a 

 spikes soon appea 

 there be any attempt at undue forcing, or 

 few flower spikes will be the result of the 

 treatment. When the spikes are a few 

 inches high, a little stimulant should be 

 given to the plants^ which will greatly assist 

 in the production of good flowers. 



The result in the second flowering season 

 are no doubt the best, the blossoms are 

 finer and more numerous than they are at 

 any time. After the plants have flowered 

 the third year, it is advisable to dig them 

 up, throw them avay, and plant young 

 stock. To carry out this s<^heme of cultiva- 

 tion, it is necessary to raise -a batch of 

 seedlings annually, which will enable one 

 to maintain a succession of strong flower- 

 ing plants, from which satisfactory results 

 will be obtained. Raising the seedlings 

 is a simple matter, but it is absolutely 

 necessary that a good strain be obtained 

 or disappointment will surely follow, and 

 time and labour be wasted. 



Hundreds of plants are easily raised from 

 seeds in a cold frame or handJight, no 

 artificial heat whatever being required for 

 the purpose. May is the most suitable 

 month for seed sowing, and the plants thus 

 raised are able to make a good season's 

 growth before the first winter. We use 

 pots or boxes for sowing the seeds in, and 

 these are filled with a mixture of leaf-soil 

 and loam in equal parts, adding sufficient 

 sand to keep it open. When the seeds are 

 sown the pots or boxes are placed in a cold 

 frame or hand-light until germination takes 

 place, covering the former with glass and 

 paper to prevent undue evaporation. It 

 frequently happens that the seeds germi- 

 nate very irregularly. The young seed- 

 lings are transplanted into other boxes and 

 afforded cold frame treatment until they 

 are well established, when they are gradu- 

 ally hardened off and transferred to well- 

 f)repare<l nursery beds, being planted out 

 in rows, twelve inches apart, and about 

 nine inches from plant to plant. Here 

 they will become well established before the 

 winter arrives, and be quite capable of look- 

 ing after themselves. 



Given good treatment during the hrst 

 season, that is, from the wwing of the 

 see<ls until the plants are put out into nur- 

 serv beds, many plants will flower the fol- 

 lowing season. It is an easy matter to 

 determine which crowns are likely to pro- 

 duce flower spikes when growth commences 

 by their plumpness, and all such may be 

 planted in their flowering quarters, and 

 the smaller crowns be replanted m the nur- 

 rv beds for another season. 



Slugs are extremely fond of the young 

 tender growths, and they quickly ruin a 

 batch of seedlings if measures are not taken 

 to prevent them doing so, A slight di^essing 

 of artificial manure, lightly forked in be- 

 tween the plants before growth commences, 

 acts as a protection from slugs, and as a 

 stimulant to the plants. 



As aquilegias are early summer-flowering 

 plants, the question of what shall be done 

 with the gap caused by ithe cessation of 

 their flowers arises. This may be filled by 

 planting gladioli between them, as these 

 former produce a display when the aqui- 

 legias are over. Again, the aquilegias may 

 be safely lifted when their flowering season 

 is over, and the gap made good with early- 

 flowering chrysanthemums. Of coui^e, the 

 latter must be grown in nursery beds for 

 this purpose, but the extra trouble is amply 

 repaid. The operation of lifting both the 

 aquilegias and chrysanthemums must be 

 carefully carried out, and if dull, showery 

 weather can be selected for it, success will 

 surely follow. E. C. Pooley. 



Gnaton Gardens. 



A SUCCESSION OF PEAS* 



The season of green peas is now with 

 us, and it is worth while to remember that 

 there has been a considerable increase in 

 the number of varieties of culinary peas 

 during recent years. In many cases vast 

 improvements have been made, and, as a 

 general rule, the green wrinkled pea has 

 almost outclassed the white round-seeded. 

 Improvement is generally to be noted in 

 the increase in the crops and the size of 

 the pods, especially in the early varieties, 

 and to make a selection of a few really 

 good peas is often a puzzling matter. Most 

 experienced gardeners hold that in order 

 to grow peas to perfection trenches should 

 be prepared in the autumn or winter by 

 taking out two feet of soil, and breaking 

 up the bottom, and spreading it with a 

 layer of well-decayed cow manure. The 

 trench is then partly filled in with soil and 

 a layer of bonemeal, the remainder of the 

 soil being left exposed to the winter rains 

 and frost, so that it will become thoroughly 

 sweetened and pulverised. Before sow- 

 ing, this soil is replaced in the trench. 



Two thousand vears aeo the Greeks 



the 



years ago 

 sowed their peas in November^ 

 Romans did not plant theirs until springs 

 so says the historian, Pliny. The first 

 mention of them in England appears to 

 be in the time of Henry VIIL, according 

 to one narrative. And in 1737 there are 

 sixteen different varieties of peas men- 

 tioned in Miller's Dictionary. Most of 

 these varieties were various forms of the 

 Hotspur pea. The first wrinkled marrow- 

 fat pea was introduced by Thomas Andrew 

 Knight, the President of the Royal Hor- 

 ticultural Society, in 1787; it was cither 

 the result of a cross, or a sport, which 

 had been bred true. Subsequently the old 

 Champion of England appeared, and then 

 came Ne Plus IHtra, Veitch's Perfection, 

 nd William I. Culverwell raised the 

 Telegraph, and afterwards Telephone, 

 Autocrat, and Duke of Albany were intro- 

 duced. 



At the present day it is the earliest 

 varieties of peas that prove most popular. 

 Some gardeners may "be able to produce 

 peas in April, with special facilities, of 

 course, but the majority of growers have 

 to content themselves with their first disli 

 of peas in the middle of May, or even 

 the'early part of June. Channel Island 

 pea growers are known to devote whole 

 houses to the production of early peas, 

 and it is said that in one large house the 

 grower prepares the ground wi^h a plough. 



The Early Giant pea is a favourite variety 

 with tUese growers, but any early wriukleu 

 varieties can be employed. 6eeds are 

 sown in November, December, or Jauuarj-j 

 and the pods gathered Irom April onwaru^. 

 Ureen viem is described as a usetul 

 early pea for sowing in borders or pois 

 under glass^ where a wliole house is not 

 available. ^ or pot culture, however, a g<mi 

 variety is Seedling Marrowfat, which lias 

 pointed and very free-setting pods 

 nne-iiavoured peas. A sull 



for this pu 



and 

 dwarfer 



pea lor Dtiis purpose is Harbinger, 

 which, with lieaaing Wonder, is one or 

 the two earliest uwarf wrinkled peas 

 m existence. Quite a new variety ot 

 dwarf pea, Avhich is finding favour amongst 

 many growers for pot culture or early 

 borders, is Pioneer. 



Any or tiie Ursc early or second early poa^s 

 may oe sown in pots or boxes in Uecemuer 

 or January to loilow those grown entirely 

 under glairs. Atter sowing, tliey may be 

 grown oil ill cold iraiues, and suosequeJitxy 

 planted out m the open. Gradus, J^aiiv 

 viiant, ifiarly iMorn, Carter'^ Ji^ignt \\eeKv. 

 May Queen, Thomas Laxtoii, Duke ui 

 Albany, and others, are all extremely use- 

 ful for this purpose. Care must be taken 

 not to make the sowings too tliick, 

 and also to prevent tlie piants beconung 

 lanky and spindly in growth, they shoula 

 be kept near the glass and given plenty 

 of ventilation on ail favourable occasions. 

 At or about the middle of March these 

 may be put out in trenches, prepared in 

 the manner described in a former para- 

 graph. Many growers have to keep up a 

 successional supply of peas from May to 

 October, so that in sucii cases it is essen- 

 tial to make a sowing every ten or twelve 

 days. Peas sown under glass, and after- 

 wards transplanted after this fashion, will, 

 in the ordinary way, be ready for picking 

 much earlier than tlie hrst outdoor 



wrinkled pet . 



In the latter case, sowings can usually 

 be made as early as February on a shel- 

 tered and fairly warm border, provided, 

 of course, the weather conditions arc 

 favourable. Giant Lightning, Readuig 

 Wonder, Pioneer, Duke of York, Excelsior, 

 Little Marvel, English Wonder, and also 

 those mentioned above, can all be treated 

 in this manner. For more exposed situa- 

 tions, however, and where a sheltered 

 border is available, Bountiful, Ameer 

 William I., or Pilot may be used. All 

 these are peas of a somewhat hardier con- 

 stitution than those mentioned above Pilot 

 especially being a new and very prolific pea 

 that has great promise. For mauicro])s 

 it is exceedingly difficult to get at the be.st 

 varieties, as there are so many different 

 sorts, all of them being very free bearers, 

 with fine quality peas, and large-si/cd pods. 

 A good stock of the old Duke of M'^i^^y 

 is difficult to surpass, wliile others that are 

 equally reliable in this respect include 

 Edwin Beckett, Centenary, Alderman, ami 

 Criterion. A dwarfer pea is Nonsucli, 

 while among other popular maincroppers 

 are Daisy, International, Harvestman, 

 Dreadnought, Quito Content, Prizewinner, 



and Incomparable. 



In a later section there are Sharps 

 Queen, Superlative. Perfection, Jubilee, 

 and Dr. McLean. We also have a nunibei 

 of varieties of peas which, if sown at the 

 same time as the ordinary second eari^ 

 types, will not mature until quite a nioiitn 

 later. These include Autocrat, Late Queen. 

 Michaelmas, and the most popular variety 

 of all, Gladstone. Late pea production 

 is not, however, a very certain business, 

 and in some parts, where only a naturall. 

 dry and light soil is available, it us often 

 useless to sow after May or early Jii"''- 

 Even then a considerable amount of atton- 



